Does the idea of managing a remote team intimidate you? When you outsource your dental billing, you’re technically learning to manage a remote team. Sure, the remote dental biller is technically employed by the billing company, but they’re like an extension of your team.
And many dentists feel unsure they can successfully manage a remote employee, as most work in the dental office is done in person.
And it’s true, there are some challenges when it comes to managing remote teams, and it’s no different when working with a remote dental biller.
As a trusted dental billing partner, Dental ClaimSupport works remotely with dental offices to create an easy insurance claims process. While helping teams get cash flow they can count on, we’ve seen dentists and teams feel unsure about working with a remote dental biller.
That’s why we’re sharing 5 tips for managing remote teams. In this article, you will walk away with a valuable set of actionable tips that will help you confidently work with your remote dental biller. When you feel empowered to work with and trust a remote dental biller, you’ll be able to focus more on providing an amazing dental experience for your patients.
1. Set realistic goals and expectations with the remote team you’re managing
As with any relationship, setting expectations is a great way to prevent surprises or disappointment.
Working with a remote dental biller is likely a new experience for your in-house team. Because of this, the working relationship should begin by creating goals and expectations. For example, what are you hoping to accomplish with the remote worker handling your dental billing? Are you hoping to see collections numbers rise quickly? Are you looking to free up your in-house team’s time to focus on patients?
These types of goals and expectations should be communicated initially to your remote dental biller so that they know what good results look like to you.
And the same goes for your remote biller. They are like an extension of your in-house team, so they’ll want to figure this out early on as well. What form of communication will they offer? How often can you expect to hear from them? Having these conversations can help you determine what this relationship is going to look like, making you feel comfortable as they become an extension of your in-house team.
2. Schedule regular meetings with remote workers, ideally via video chat
A great way to develop a real relationship with your remote worker is meeting regularly via video chat. We’re not suggesting you need to have a video chat every day or even every week. But meeting face-to-face can help you create a better relationship.
It shows you that your remote biller is a real person working on your account, and you’re a real person who they are working for as well.
This can relieve a lot of the unease that comes with remote work. It’s common for people to feel like strangers when they work remotely, but if you meet via webcam every so often to talk about their progress, any problems that have arisen, or just life - it can go a long way in creating a successful working relationship.
And this can lead to a better performance from both your in-house team and remote teams.
3. Have a channel for regular communication with your remote teams
As we said, you don’t need to video chat or talk on the phone with your remote biller every single day. But regular communication via email (or whatever your agreed-upon communication style) is a best practice.
This way you can make sure you and your remote biller are both on the same page as far as what needs to be done for your dental practice.
Regular communication also gives both you and the remote biller more opportunities to ask one another questions. With this, it feels more so like you are collaborating together, even if you are physically far apart. This creates more of a team-like environment, which can feel good for you since you are letting someone you haven’t met in person work on your dental billing.
4. Check the remote team’s progress without micromanaging
Make sure to keep up with your numbers so that you know where your remote biller’s progress is. You can do this easily in your practice management software without even speaking to the remote dental biller.
- Does your in-house team have the notes they need?
- Are you getting the answers you need to your questions?
- Do you see expected results on your reports?
We can’t speak for all dental billing companies, but we highly encourage dentists and team members to track the remote dental biller’s progress via your report numbers. This includes your insurance collections numbers and your insurance aging report numbers.
Related: The dental billing metrics you need to check for quality service
At DCS, our remote billers will actually send you a daily insurance payment deposit report that shares the numbers they posted that day. So it makes keeping track of your biller’s performance pretty easy for you! And you can review these numbers every day without having to worry about micromanaging OR missing anything.
5. Trust your biller to do their job
All of these tips should help build trust with your remote dental biller. And trust goes a long way when you have remote teams.
Trust that your remote biller will provide you with an easy insurance claims process and cash flow you can count on. When you let your remote worker do what they’re hired to do, and they know you trust them, they will feel empowered to do their job well.
It’s easier said than done, but you’ve hired a dental billing company so that you do not have to spend time worrying about your dental billing. When you trust your biller to do their job, you’ll sleep soundly, knowing your dental billing process is clear, accurate, and compliant.
Ready to collect more with a remote dental biller?
Working with a remote dental biller can be an adjustment if you’re not used to managing a remote worker. To combat this, make sure to set expectations, meet on video calls so you can see their face, communicate regularly, check their progress, and trust them.
With these tips, you’ll feel confident that your biller is easily managing your worry-free claims process.
Dental ClaimSupport is a dental billing friend that can help you deliver an excellent dental experience from start to finish with our billing services. To learn more, schedule a call with one of our experts and take back the income you’ve earned.
Related Posts
Dental billing resources